Preliminary Investigation of Methane Emissions from Farm Dams in Western Australia

Project lead: The University of Western Australia (UWA)

Project overview

This project aims to initiate the pilot work needed to understand how to collect and analyse methane emissions data from Western Australian farm dams.

Research in eastern Australia has shown that better water management can lower methane emissions. And although methane emissions from farm dams may only represent a small fraction of a farm’s total carbon footprint, the project seeks to highlight the broader benefits of improving how dams are managed to improve water quality.

Good water quality supports livestock health and productivity and a more effective spray program.

The project team aims to compare their preliminary findings from pilot sites with data from eastern Australia.

Expected outcomes

The project team expects to achieve the following outcomes:

• Gain an understanding of how to best monitor methane emissions from WA farm dams, which will lay the groundwork for a more extensive research project in the future.
• Collect pilot data on methane emissions from farm dams in Western Australia, which will serve as a critical reference point for future studies and interventions aimed at reducing these emissions.
• Understand how to reduce methane emissions and improve water quality.
• Collaborate and share knowledge between project partners to provide data-driven approaches to understanding methane emission from farm dams.

This project is supported by the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub, through funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.